AMT Public

Announcing the winners of our 2009 Market Town Awards

The overall winner of the prestigious National Market Town Awards is an innovative eco-project in Faringdon, Oxfordshire. The winner was announced on 13 October at the Action for Market Towns Convention in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.

ECOWEEK was a project aimed at moving Faringdon to a smaller and more sustainable footprint. 2,300 people enjoyed 33 separate low-carbon events, from visits to hi-tech plasma waste facilities to tours of low-tech allotments.

The local community ate ecoburgers, cycled into the summer solstice, and even broke a world record for hugging a wind turbine along the way!

ECOWEEK involved the whole community – from birdwatchers right through to bread-baking watermill lovers.

Read more about this year’s overall winner of the National Market Town Awards.

Market Towns Review – Awards edition

AMT members can download a special issue of Market Towns Review here with details of all the winners.

Market Town Awards Regional Winners

The 2009 Market Town Awards attracted exciting and innovative entries from across the 8 UK regions – and sounded a distinctly optimistic note in the face of the current recession.

Regional judging of the entries took place earlier this year and we are delighted to announce the winners and overall winner for each region.

Here are our worthy winners:

East Midlands Market Town Awards

Overall Winner
Project: Shirebrook Business Centre
Lead organisation: Bolsover District Council
Also winner of the Business and Economy category

Winner of the Environment and Culture category
Project: Buxton Visitor Welcome Scheme
Lead organisation: High Peak Borough Council

Winner of the Social and Community category
Project: Alert Box, Swadlincote
Lead organisation: South Derbyshire District Council

Winner of the Partnership and Strategic Working category
Project: Think Melton, Shop Melton
Lead organisation: Melton Town Centre Partnership

Read the East Midlands Market Town Awards press release

East of England Market Town Awards

Overall Winner
Project: Youthie and Youthie+, Swaffham
Lead organisation: Iceni Partnership
Also winner of the Social and Community category

Winner of the Environment and Culture category
Project: Siam Gardens & Weavers Piece, Sudbury
Lead organisation: Sudbury Market Town Community Partnership

Winner of the Partnership and Strategic Working category
Project: Saffron Walden Public Realm
Lead organisation: Saffron Walden Partnership Board

Winner of the Business and Economy category
Project: Jobsearch, Ramsey
Lead organisation: Ramsey Town Partnership

Read the East of England Market Town Awards press release

North East Market Town Awards

Overall Winner
Project: Morpeth Arts and Culture Flood Recovery
Lead organisation: Greater Morpeth Development Trust (Market Towns Community Partnership)
Also winner of the Environment and Culture category

Read the North East Market Town Awards press release

North West Market Town Awards

Overall Winner
Project: A sustainable future for North Allerdale
Lead organisation: North Allerdale Partnership, now North Allerdale Development Trust
Also winner of the Partnership and Strategic Working category

Winner of the Environment and Culture category
Project: Creative Egremont
Lead organisation: Egremont & Area Regeneration Partnership Ltd

Winner of the Business and Economy category
Project: County Square, Ulverston
Lead organisation: Ulverston & Low Furness Market Towns Initiative

Commendation
Project: Sandbach Market Square Regeneration
Lead organisation: Sandbach Partnership

Read the North West Market Town Awards press release

South East Market Town Awards

Regional and National Winner
Project: Faringdon ECOWEEK
Lead organisation: Faringdon Area Project
Also winner of the Social and Community category

Winner of the Environment and Culture category
Project: Butterfly Garden, Hythe
Lead organisation: Hythe & Dibden Parish Council / Revital Hythe

Winner of the Partnership and Strategic Working category
Project: Caterham Meets Storrington
Lead organisation: ABC – A Better Caterham/Storrington Community Partnership

Winner of the Business and Economy category
Project: Wireless Godalming
Lead organisation: Waverley Borough Council, Godalming Town Council

Read the South East Market Town Awards press release

South West Market Town Awards

Overall Winner
Project: Community Sports Coaches
Lead organisation: Trowbridge Town Council
Also winner of the Social and Community category

Winner of the Environment and Culture category
Project: Old Railway Heritage (Community Project for Ilminster, Donyatt, Knowle St Giles, and Chard)
Lead organisation: Ilminster Forum

Winner of the Partnership and Strategic Working category
Project: What makes Stur so special? Sturminster Newton
Lead organisation: Sturquest, the Community Partnership for Sturminster Newton and surrounding communities

Winner of the Business and Economy category
Project: On View Art Project, Dursley
Lead organisation: Stroud District Council

Read the South West Market Town Awards press release

Read more about the South West Market Town Awards presentation in the Gloucestershire Market Towns Forum report

West Midlands Market Town Awards

Overall Winner
Project: Old Cottage Hospital Studios, Ledbury
Lead organisation: Ledbury & Area Development Trust
Also winner of the Business and Economy category

Winner of the Environment and Culture category
Project: Avon Meadows Community Wetland, Pershore
Lead organisation: Pershore Market Town Partnership

Winner of the Partnership and Strategic Working category
Project: Stourport-on-Severn Celebrating our Heritage, Forging our Future
Lead organisation: Stourport Forward and Partners

Winner of the Social and Community category
Project: A Healthy Future, Evesham
Lead organisation: Evesham Market Town Partnership

Commendation
Project: Ludlow Marches, Ludlow & Tenbury Wells
Lead organisation: Skillbuilders CIC

Read the West Midlands Market Town Awards press release

Yorkshire and Humber Market Town Awards

Overall Winner
Project: Incredible Edible Todmorden
Lead organisation: Incredible Edible Todmorden
Also winner of the Environment and Culture category

Winner of the Partnership and Strategic Working category
Project: Wallingfen Way B1230 Working Group, Howden
Lead organisation: Howdenshire Forward

Winner of the Social and Community category
Project: Driffield Community Street Survey
Lead organisation: Driffield Partnership

Winner of the Business and Economy catgory
Project: Bedale Heritage Partnership Scheme
Lead organisation: Hambleton District Council

Read the Yorkshire & Humber Market Town Awards press release

More information

The 2009 Market Town Awards were open to towns throughout England for projects completed between April 2008 and March 2009.

For any queries regarding the Action for Market Towns Awards, including sponsorship opportunities, please contact Anne Buchanan at awards@towns.org.uk